The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-03-16
Ghn QatdliQneer,
WHEELING, ". VA, MARCH 10, 1897.


A recent vigorous cartoon In Puck, &C.
companied by an equally vigoroua editor
ial article, has revived once more serious
consideration 81 sons methods oil our pub.
lie school syssem. Siurs It 10 In the pnE-
lie school that the average American lays
the foundation Of HE education, and since
the public echool Is supported by taxing
the people, anything that relates to this
subject must haya q public interest.
Puck has drawn out ONE well consid.
cred articles Of many shades Of opinion.
Oae, by Prof. EckoG, oil tho Jersey City
High School, contains 30 much eolid COM
mon sesso that VT ahall give It's leading
points for the gervice they may do at
home. Prot. iickoG thinks that for each
pupil injured by over.staly two or three
ara broken down In health during the
school period because Of the silly am.
billion oil parents who try to forco Their
children into being young ladies' and
young g%ea.lemsn, against the ourse and
Intention Of nature.
Prof. E2koh'n observation leads him &c
lay dosn three propositions worthy the
attention Of all who are in my way inter
eated in the education Of youth.
The psopl.. acting through the school
boards, Srs willing to pay ior good school
holsag, good tnrni.ure, goOJ maps and
text books. au-
The people are not willing to pay Ealaries
large enough to retain desirab'e male
teachers in sufficient numbar to make
teaching Il profession instead OF 6 make.
shit.
Tho people got what they pAy for.
Tho salary indictment will stand IN any
court in the United States, for though
some States and some parts OF States differ
crodi.abiy from others, there IL none
righteous, no, not one. They all sin and
cons short. Teaching is treated by the
average school board rs q make.shift, and
and thet is what tine average teacher
makes it. ~
1t will be idle 10 tiud fault with teachers
for this, SO long rs teaching holds out co
few Of the ettrac:ionu OF a life.work. There
are q lew not very brilliant priz,a. but for
the great majority who cling to pedagogy
there ia Qnly continued disappointment or
a. least hope deferred. Women as a rule
preier to cling to Il husDsnd-though we
nust III ga|lantry admit that there are
aome who prefe, to 90 through lie Weld
ing the ierrule o. q wider scale.
Tie indic!meatsg ains. parents Is equal
ly good. III this case M in the other there
are OF course exceptions, but they are not
'aa plenty ms blackber'ies in harvest"
Teachers are rarely given a fair chancs to
do tho best they csn for the Children nomi.
nslly placed under their control.
Parents have iioss Of their own based
moro on their desires for their children
than on knowledge of the delicate subjec.
with which they nssume to tamper.
Johnuis o. Myrtle must be put through
30 much in 3 given time, the society side
OF tho juvsnile life in the meantime bains
we'll looked to, or there ID intense d~issatis-
faction and the unhappy teacher is written
down a failure, make haste ~elowly" is q
wise saying Of which soma psrents have
never heard.
When ws have developed tho ideal
parent, the idoal teacher will DO near at
hand to take up and do successfully his or
her part OF the work. While wa are striv.
ing, rather than wni;iagio Tor, tho idoal, par
haps wesha!l evolve something better than
We noH have.